Clasp for garment-supporters.



PATENTED OCT. 18, 1904.

J. c; DOWNEY. CLASP FOR GARMENT SUPPORTERS.

'AYPLIQATIOK FILED FEB. 1; 1904. 7

WITNESSES INVENTOR 4 fofizz 6.IOW/zeg A nae/v5 rs UNITED STATES;

Patented October 18, 1904.

. PATENT OFFI E.

JOHN CHARLES DOWNEY, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO JOHN P. GRIMES ANl) EDWARD H. DEELY, OF .WATER- BURY, CONNECTICUT.

CLASP FOR GARMENT-SUPPORTERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0.'772,875, dated October 18, 1904.

Application filed February 1, 1904. Serial No. 191,503. (No model.)

To all whmn 'itmay concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN CHARLEs DOWNEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Waterbury, in the countyaof New Haven and State of Connecticut,have invented a new and Improved Clasp for Garment-Supporters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of this invention is to provide" I novel details of construction for a clasp that adapt it for very effective service as a means for detachably connecting the leg of a stocking with anelastic band used as a stocking-supporter, but which may also "be used in connec- 5 tion with other-garment-supporters.

The invention consists in the novel con struction and combination of parts as is hereinafter described, and definedin the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indi cate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a front View of the improved 5 clasp pendent from the looped lower end of a garter-band. Fig. 2- is alongitudinal sec- 'tional view of the improved clasp, taken substantially on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1 and showing a portion of a stocking gripped by the '3 clasp. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2,

showing the details of the clasp adjusted for the reception of the fabric to be held thereby,and Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view mounted to slide, said grip-jaw comprising a.

plate-metal body portion furnishedwith aseries of teeth a on the straight lower edge thereof and also provided with two opposite tubular boxes 6, which are loosely mounted upon the respective guides 5, whereby the jaw is adapted to reciprocate on the guides toward and from the lower cross-bar 5".

-An arm 7, formed of plate metal, is hinged upon the upper part of the grip-jaw 6, preferably as shown, the jointed connection consisting of a transverse tubulation 0, formed on the lower end of the arm and loosely coupled with a cross-bar 0, formed integral with the grip-jaw by slotting the latter transversely near the upper edge of the same, as shown at c in Fig. 1. A suitable length is given to the arm 7 and near its upper end it is provided with the similar stops OZ, that are slightlycurved projections from the side edges of the arm and seat loosely upon the guides 5, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4c. 1

Between the stops cZa transverse slot 0 is formed in the upper portion of the arm 7 at a proper distance from the upper edge thereof, thus affording a cross-bar e, defined by the slot and said edge.

A link-plate 8, consisting of a sheet-metal strip provided with transverse tubulations 9 ii, formed thereon, respectively at the lower and upper ends, is jointed upon the cross-bar c and upper cross-bar 5 of the clasp-frame by the loose engagement of said tubulations respectively therewith.

A head-link 9 is provided for the connec- "tion of the clasp with an end portion A ofa garter, the latter, which is shown doubled, being the pendent part of an elastic band such as is usually employed for engagement with the lower limb of the wearer by encircling the same, and as this is a common provision the main portion of the garter-band is omitted from the drawingsl The head-link 9 is formed of plate metal transversely slotted at a near its upper transverse edge, said slot having sufficient length and. width to adapt it to freely receive the garter-band A, that is doubled to produce a loop that engages with the transverse bar m, produced by the formation of the slot 2'. Be-

low the slot 2' the material is centrally notched in rectangular form, as shown at n in Fig. 1, the notch affording proper clearance for the upper end of the link-plate 8, and at each side of said notch short clip-bands 0 are formed by bending the material into tubular form, these clip-bands being mounted and secured upon the upper ends of the guides 5 near their junction with the top cross-bar 5.

It will be seen that the clasp is hung pendent from the garter-band, that in complete form maybe secured upon the leg of the wearer near the knee, so that the upper edge portion of a stocking B may be engaged with the clasp and thus adapt the garter for the support of the stocking, as usual.

To connect the stocking with the clasp, the arm 7 is moved upward and rocked outward at its upper end, which will slide the grip-jaw 6 upward and away from the lower cross-bar 5 and project the link-plate 8 outward correspondingly, as represented in Fig. 3. The fibrous material that forms the edge portion of the stocking is now doubled and pushed through the clasp-frame between the serrated lower edge of the grip-jaw 6 and the upper surface of the lower cross-bar 5, and the link-plate 8 and arm 7 are pressed at their joint 0 0 toward the frame of the clasp, which will depress the grip-jaw and clasp the stocking between the teeth (a and the crossbar 5".

It will be seen that the relative adjustment of the arm 7 and link-plate 8 prevents an accidental release of the stocking from the clasp when engaged therewith, as indicated in Fig. 2, but that upon applying slight pressure at the joint 0, upon the normal rear side of the same, the joint may be readily flexed and the stocking be released in an obvious manner.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A clasp comprising a frame, a gripping member slidable on the frame, a rock-arm hinged upon the gripping member, a link loosely connecting the rock arm with the frame, and means forconnecting the frame with a supporting member.

2. A clasp, comprising a quadrangular frame, a grip-jaw held to slide on the frame near the lower cross-bar thereof, a rock-arm hinged upon the grip-jaw, a link loosely con necting the rock-arm with the upper crossbar of the frame, and means for connecting the upper portion of the frame with a garterband.

3. A clasp, comprising a qumlangular frame, that ati'ords parallel guides as side members thereof, a grip-jaw having a serrated lower edge that is opposed to the lower erossbar on the frame, and two lateral tulmlar formations thereon which loosely engage the guides, a rock-arm hinged at its lower end on the upper portion of the grip-jaw and having laterally-extended stops near the upper end, which normally seat upon the guides, a linkplate hinged at its respective ends upon the upper end of the rock-arm and the upper cross-bar of the frame, and means for connecting the upper portion of the frame with a looped end of a garterdmml.

at. The combination with a looped end of a garter-band, of a stoching-gripping elasp, comprising a quadrangular frame formed of a wire rod bentinto shape, atl'ording two parallel guides, a lower cross-bar and an upper crossbar, a plate-metalgrip-jaw, formed wil h teeth on the lower transverse edge, said jaw having two opposite tubular formations formed on its side edges and which loosely engage the guides, said jaw having a cross-bar at the upper transverse edge, produced by slotting the jaw near said edge, a rock-a rm formed of plate metal and hinged at its lower end upon the cross-bar, said rock-arm having laterally-extended stops thereon near its upper end, which normally seat upon the guides, a link-plate hinged at its ends respectively upon the upper end of the rock-arm and upon the upper cross-bar of the frame, and a headlinh secured upon the upper portion of the frame and having a transverse slot near its upper edge, providing a cross-bar that is engaged by the doubled end portion of the garter-baml.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification 1n the presence of two subscriblng witnesses.

JOHN (HA RLES DOW N NY.

Vitnesses:

JAM us (,i moons, Minus F. MGNWF. 

